I believe that the mirror images function like a DoT in the sense that when you cast them they snapshot your stats, buffs and procs and shoot accordingly. However, they scale poorly so it's always a waste to spend an entire global cooldown on them while all of your procs and/or time warp are up.

At least that's what I got from playing with them in MoP. As I said in the Arcane thread, it's just a matter of spending half an hour at a target dummy testing their damage in various conditions. If you have the time, go for it

I always use them as I pre-pot on pull because as I'm Arcane for most fights I won't have any stacks at the time anyway so I'm not losing much, but will admit I've not made much effort to line them up with my cooldowns apart from that instead of just popping them whenever it's possible or on a movement phase
Maybe I should be tracking it a bit more

I always use them as I pre-pot on pull because as I'm Arcane for most fights I won't have any stacks at the time anyway so I'm not losing much, but will admit I've not made much effort to line them up with my cooldowns apart from that instead of just popping them whenever it's possible or on a movement phase
Maybe I should be tracking it a bit more

I'm in the same situation but as I'm becoming more comfortable on certain fights I'm wanting to min/max my DPS to stupid legnths. The main thing I'd like to know is if they're out when you pop BL whether they benefit from it or not, or whether BL has to be popped already for them to gain it (if they even can gain it).

1. Remove weapons, trinkets and cloak if Tailor
2. Test Mirror Images three times to get a simple arithmetic average
3. Put the gear back on, but not the weapon coz the spell power will screw with the test.
4. Test Mirror Images three times to get a simple arithmetic average, but cast them when some of your procs are up, preferably two at the same time.
5. Make a test with Time Warp as well.

I can't describe the amount of non-willingness to open the game I feel right now, otherwise I'd do it myself

I'm in the same situation but as I'm becoming more comfortable on certain fights I'm wanting to min/max my DPS to stupid legnths. The main thing I'd like to know is if they're out when you pop BL whether they benefit from it or not, or whether BL has to be popped already for them to gain it (if they even can gain it).

They function like other pets with regard to BL in that they have to be out when it is cast to benefit from it.

Mirror image takes everything you got. Haste, buffs, AC stacks.. all in real time.
Only exception is that they do not take stormlash. They do take crit banner though.
Regarding bloodlust.. They can "pick it up" like players do. I'm not 100% sure though, maybe your own bloodlust only.. But both ways work. (Bloodlust, then MI.. and MI, then bloodlust)

Mirror image takes everything you got. Haste, buffs, AC stacks.. all in real time.
Only exception is that they do not take stormlash. They do take crit banner though.
Regarding bloodlust.. They can "pick it up" like players do. I'm not 100% sure though, maybe your own bloodlust only.. But both ways work. (Bloodlust, then MI.. and MI, then bloodlust)

I used to do that but Aggro hasn't been a problem for my guild since the old days of pre-nerf quadruple Pyroblast Combustion eight seconds after the pull

I mean I still cast it but not because I'd pull aggro otherwise :P

There are actually some encounters where I wish I could turn that off, while it is undoubtedly useful in others
We wiped on Sinestra once or twice because someone popped MI at the wrong time, lost Aggro on the cutter orb and it just wandered off in unpredictable directions